Road-grading machine



1,514,846 J. H. FLATLEY ROAD GRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 51. 1920 2 sheew-sheei 1 a mum Nov. 11 192%,

J. H. FLATLEY ROAD GRAD] NG MACH INE Filed Jan. 31. 1920 2 Snacks-Sheet 2 wiimeoo Patented Nov. ll, i924.

raters JOHN tanner rLA'rrnY, or!" roan, I nrnors.

ROAD-GRADING MACHINE.

Application filed January 31, i920. Serial No. 355,517.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HENRY FLAT- Lnr, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Little York, in the county of W arren and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Road- Grading Machines, of which the following is a specification."

This invention has reference to road grading machines, and it has for its principal object, to provide in such a machine, a pair of revoluble road grading members.

The invention has for a further object, to constructa road grading machine with revoluble grading members, 'each formed with a plurality of radially arraiiged" road engagingblades or vanes, and in the provisionot a traction-wheel "geared to said revolnble members forrotating'the sameas the grader is drawnover the roadto be graded.

The invention has for a still further object, to construct a grader with rotatable grading blades or vanesfand to provide a traction member geared to said blades in a manner to impart acom'parativelyslow rotativemovement to saidblades or vanes, as thegrader is drawn overthe roadto be graded.

The invention has for a still further object, to construct a g raderwith "a pair of rotatable "members provided with "a plurality or radially arranged road engaging blades; a traction wheel geared "to said mem bers being employed to transmit rotary.

movement to the members as 'the grader is drawn over the ground; the supporting frame and operating parts for the members being of a Tilexible character to permit the graderto accommodate itself to the irregularities of theroad,. and yet do eflicient work; ilevelers being provided'to trail the revoluble members so as to smooth and level any uneven or rough places.

That the invention may b'emore fully understood, reference isihad to the accompanying drawingsforming part of the present description, in which Fig. 1 isa plan view of my improved grading machine; I

Fig. :2 is an elevation partly in section, as the same would appear if taken on the line .2 2 .liigyl, looking in the direction of the arrow, and

Fig. 3 is an elevation partly n section,

as the same would appear if taken on the line 33"Fig."l, looking in the"direction of the arrow. Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout thefigures.

' My road grader differs froirrthose heretotore suggested and used, in that I" employ revoluble members having road engaging blades or vanes, instead of employing a fixed scraping blade, even thouglfsucha-blade is adjustably supported, 'whereb'yits angularitymay be changed relativelyto the road. T he result with the use of my"machine'is to effectually scrape'all ridges and fill alli'urrows, such as those made by vehicle and automobile wheels," whiclris a result not obtainablethrough the us'e'of the"usual" gradmg machine blade, which operatestoleave the furrows only partly filled and the ridges not entirely smoothed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1' provide a pair of'revolublemembets 1, counter parts of each other; i; e3, including outer annular rings 2 connected to a centrally located socketed hub '3 by means of a plurality of radially arranged scraping or grading; blades or vanes 4, and secured to" the upper faces of sald'blades or vanes are large gear wheels ,5. 'The *upper ,face of each blade or vane 4: between the outer rim of the gear wheel 5 and the ring 2 are dished out, as at 6 to clear worm-like wheels 7 which mesh with the gear Wheels 5. It'wil] be seen that the speed o'f'rotation of the members 1 depend on-theratio be tween the wheels 5 and the worms 7, and

outwardly or inwardly, or in corresponding i directions, throuen and by means of the construction of the threads on the worm wheels 7 The frame ofthe grader preferably comprises the-pa'rallel 'beams'8 towhich "are secured located axially of the members ,1 and on their lower ends provided with spherical members or balls 10 .held in the sockets of the hubs 3, forming a'lball and'socket connection for the members 1' about whichj'they' rotate, and to permit certain freedom of action of the members 1- as they travel; on uneven roads. Connected to and extending forwardly from said beams are yokeexand from which dependibrackets 9,

tensions 1-1 through which coupling is made with a tongue 12,"and to which are connected and from which depend hangers or brackets 13 carrying rollers 14: on their lower ends which contact with the lower faces of the rings 1, the latter rolling on the former. Connected to and extending crosswise of the tongue 12, is a beam 15, and said beam is braced from the tongue by braces 16 and coupled to the yoke extensions 11 through coupling rods 17 and 18. The beams 8 are connected back of the centers of the rotary members 1 by the foot-board 19. Coupled to the rear ends of the beams 8 are rods 20 to which are pivotally connected the 'levelers or covering boards 21, which preferably overlap at their inner meeting ends, and connected by the short chains 22. To retain the boards 21 in a substantially vertical position, as seen in Figs. 1' and 2, I provide the rods 20 near their rear ends with the rearwardly inclined lugs orprojections 23 with which the upper half portion of the boards will bear as the grader is drawn forward and thus hold the boards in the working positions illustrated.

Rollers 1 1- similar to the rollers 14: are journaled on the lower ends of brackets 14: depending from the rear ends of the beams 8, and bear against the upper surfaces of the rings 2. These rollers 14; and 14 tend v to hold the members 1 to their work while permitting a certain amount of freedom during rotation to permit them to accommodate themselves to the surface of the ground.

I provide for the operation of the rotary members 1 from a traction member of the grader, as the grader is drawn over the road and the traction member is revolved, a traction member is designated 241, being a wheel of suitable size, from the periphery of which projects the spaced spikes or prongs 25 which enter the ground and thereby compel forced rotation of said wheel and the members 1 geared thereto. This "traction wheel 2 1 is connected to a shaft or spindle 26 journaled in a yoke frame 27 extending rearwardly from the rear end of the tongue 12. To the opposite ends of the shaft 27 are'connected universal couplings 28 to'fwhich short shafts 29 are connected, which are in turn coupled through universal couplings 30 with stub shafts 31 on which are carried the worm wheels 7.

[These stub shafts are iournaled in hangers 32' from the extensions ll of the beams 8.

wheel 241' and the Thetongu'e frame is comparatively rigid,

but flexible coupling'is made between it and the beams 8 in the connection of the rods'17 and 18, and by the use of thermiyersal couplings 28 and 30, a flexible driving connection 'is made between the traction gear wheels 5, which gives considerable latitude to the flexibility of Such the grader and its operating parts, as will be understood, and essential to the edective operation of the same.

The tongue 12is shown provided with a clevis 33 to adapt it to be connected to a tractor or other vehicle to be drawn over the road.

Reference being had to Figures 2 and 3, it will be observed that the opposite ends of the blades or vanes 4: have rounded or beveled ends 34, which enables the same to be dragged over the road without catching into bridges, culverts or other obstructions, while being drawn forward.

I have elected to title the invention as a road grading machine. At the same time I want it understood that as a grader, it also functions as a drag or surfacer.

' While I have elected to show and describe the machine in one form and arrangement, it should be understood that it is capable of modification in construction and operation, and I therefore do not desire to be'limited, except as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is: V

1. In a road grader, in combination, a pair of revoluble grading members, each having a plurality of radially arranged road engaging blades, and means to rotate said members as the grader is drawn over the road. i

2. In a road grader, in combination, a pair of revoluble grading members, a gear wheel associated with each -member, a traction wheel which is; rotated by contact with the ground, gearing connecting said traction wheel with said first mentioned gear wheels to rotate said members, said connecting gearion ing including universal couplings to prograder is drawn pair of parallel arranged frames, an annu-' lar member rotatably connected to each frame, a plurality of radially arranged blades connected to each member, and means to rotate said members and blades as the grader is drawn over the road.

6. In a road grader, in combination, a pair of parallel arranged frames, an annular member rotatably connected to each frame, a plurality of radially arranged bladesconnected to each member, a gear wheel connected to each member, a traction wheel,

enses and gearing connecting said traction Wheel with said gear Wheels for rotating said mem' bers and blades.

7. In a road grader, in combination, a pair of parallel arranged frames, an annular member rotatably connected to each frame, a plurality of radially arranged blades connected to each member, a draft frame extending forwardly of the revolving members, a traction Wheel connected to said draft frame, a gear Wheel connected to rotate With each member, and gearing connecting said traction Wheel with said gear Wheels.

8. In a road grader, in combination, a pair of parallel arranged frames, an annular member rotatably connected to each frame, a plurality of radially arranged blades connected to each member, means to rotate said members and blades as the grader is drawn over the road, and leveling boards connected to trail behind said revolving members.

9. In a road grader, in combination, a frame, a pair of annular rings, radially arranged blades connected to said rings, a ball and socket coupling between the rings and said frame, rollers carried by the frame bearing above and below the said rings, and means to rotate the rings and blades as the grader is drawn over the road. I

10. In a road grader, in combination, a frame, a pair of annular rings, radially arranged blades connected to said rings, a ball and socket coupling between the rings and said frame, rollers carried by the frame u bearing above and below the said rings, a gear Wheel associated With each ring, a traction Wheel, gearing connecting said traction wheel and gear Wheels, and leveling boards connected to trail behind said blades.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my hand this 26th day of January, 1920.

JOHN HENRY FLATLEY. 

